W.Va. Candidate Filing Deadline Passes

JOSELYN KING Staff Writer

WHEELING — The deadline for candidates to file for office in West Virginia came at midnight Saturday, with no Democrats filing to challenge Senate Majority Leader Ryan Ferns, R-Ohio, by late Saturday night.

But that doesn’t mean the filing check for $300 and application isn’t in the mail and coming from a prospective candidate. Filings mailed and showing a postmark dated before the Jan. 27 cutoff will still be accepted by the West Virginia Secretaryof State’s Office.

Other candidate names could be added to the race — as well as others throughout West Virginia — in the coming days.

Larry Tighe of Wheeling has indicated he has mailed the paperwork and will challenge Ferns for the GOP nomination, but his name was not listed on the Secretary of State’s website as of late Saturday.

In the 2nd Senate District, Sen. Charles Clements, R-Wetzel, will run unopposed on the Republican ticket, but three Democrats filed in the race — Carla J. Jones, Denny Longwell and H. John Rogers.

House of Delegates Filings

There also had been no Democrats filing to run for a 3rd District House of Delegates until the last day.

Delegate Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio, filed for re-election to his seat just after 6 p.m. Saturday night, telling those in the office he “just might be back before midnight” to file for State Senate.

Delegate Errika Storch filed for re-election in the 3rd District as a Republican, and newcomer Dalton Haas will join her on the ticket.

In the 1st Delegate District, Delegates Pat McGeehan and Mark Zatezalo, both R-Hancock, filed for re-election, and Diana Magnone and Randy Swartzmiller are the candidates on the Democrat side.

Delegate Phil Diserio, D-Brooke, will run unopposed in the 2nd District.

Delegate Joe Canestraro, D-Marshall, will run for re-election, and he will be joined on the Democrat ticket by Lisa Zukoff. Charlie Reynolds will run unopposed for the GOP nomination.

Delegate David Pethtel, D-Wetzel, will run unopposed in the 5th District on the Democrat side, while Phillip Wiley has filed on the GOP ticket.

Delegate Roger Romine, R-Tyler, will not seek re-election in 2018, resulting in an open seat in the 6th District. David Kelly and Alex King filed as Republicans in the race, while T. Chris Combs filed as a Democrat.

County Filings

There should be much election excitement in Tyler County this election season as hotly contested races for county commission and board of education will take place.

The county has a population of 8,972 people, according to 2016 U.S. Census figures. And eight candidates want to be county commissioner, and 10 want to be board of board of education members.

Brooke County voters will see eight residents wanting to be board of education members in the county. They are Chris Byers, Pam Dudley, Stacy Hooper, Jamie Lancaster, Jim Lazear, Ted Pauls, Ralph Smith and Andrew Williams.

In Ohio County, Commissioner Orphy Klempa filed for re-election as a Democrat, and Don Nickerson is the Republican candidate in the race.

Board of education members Shane Mallett and Tim Birch did not file to run in 2018, though a third incumbent — Christine Carder — did. Newcomers in the race include Molly Aderholt, David R. Croft and Karen Shuler-Stakem.

In Wetzel County, there is contested election on the Democrat ticket for commissioner between Gregory A. Morris and BB Smith.

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va. will see a challenge in the Democrat primary from Paula Jean Swearengin of Coal City, W.Va.

Five candidates, meanwhile, had filed on the Republican ticket as of late Saturday — former Massey Coal CEO Don Blankenship; Bo Copley, of Delbarton, W.Va.; U.S. Rep. Evan Jenkins; State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey; and Thomas (Tom) Willis, of Martinsburg, W.Va.

U.S. Rep. David B. McKinley of Wheeling won’t be challenged in the Republican primary, but three Democrats filed for the seat. They are former Orrick CEO Ralph Baxter of Wheeling; West Virginia University law professor Kendra Fershee; and Tom Payne of Keyser, W.Va.